Sanjay Leela Bhansali On Ajay Devgan The Lucky Mascot Of  The Entertainment Business

Ajay Devgan is  the  only A-lister in Bollywood who has remained  super-successful throughout the pandemic. Tanhaji was  the  first bonafide  hit  of January 20. It starred Devgan who topped it with guest appearances  in Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi and  now Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi.He did have a massive failure Bhuj The  Pride Of   India  in-between. But it doesn’t take  away from the shine of his  dazzling  track record.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali says the  extended cameo of  Karim Lala in Gangubai Kathiawadi required Devgan’s gravitas. “I needed  an  actor who immediate exudes a  certain gravitas, a certain kind of dignity and  strength  . Ajay Devgan has all of this. The minute he walks into  the film audiences are with him.Also, the fact that  he hasn’t changed one   bit over  the years since I worked with him last in Hum…Dil De Chuke Sanam  makes him a  rarity. He still has the wonder  habit of arriving one hour before shooting on the sets to get into character and  to  get familiar with his lines.”

Bhansali says  Alia Bhatt was  initially  intimidated  by  Ajay Devgan. “But Ajay  put her at ease  in no time  at all. He  is  a director’s delight and a considerate co-star. He  guided her through the tough dramatic lines that they  had together.”

 Up now  on Disney-Hotstar  Devgan is Applause Entertainment’s  gripping  Rudra The Edge Of Darkness where he  steps into the dark investigative  domain  of  a murder mystery. Rudra is  the Indian adaptation  of   the BBC series Luther  in which the  fantastic  Idris Elba   had  played Devgan’s role.

Ajay Devgan says  his  character in Rudra The Edge Of Darkness is possibly the greyest character he has played. “This has been both challenging and inspiring for me.Playing a cop on screen is not new to me, but this time the character is more intense, complex and dark.”